Being There
| Being There | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Hal Ashby |
| Screenplay by | Jerzy Kosiński |
| Based on | Being There 1970 novel by Jerzy Kosiński |
| Produced by | Andrew Braunsberg |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Caleb Deschanel |
| Edited by | Don Zimmerman |
| Music by | Johnny Mandel |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 130 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7 million |
| Box office | $30.2 million (US) |
Being There is a 1979 American satirical comedy-drama film starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, and Melvyn Douglas. Directed by Hal Ashby, it is based on the 1971 novel Being There by Jerzy Kosiński, and adapted for the screen by Kosiński and the uncredited Robert C. Jones. Jack Warden, Richard Dysart, and Richard Basehart are featured in support.
Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and Sellers was nominated for Best Actor. The screenplay won the British Academy Film Award for Best Screenplay and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. It was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected Being There for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". It has since developed a strong cult following and is a favorite among many filmmakers.